Sunday, 30 March 2014

For all you adventure motorcycle addicts, this may come as a surprise and possible disappointment, but this year's film project will not be focused on two wheels, but legs, feet and running a long way instead.

"WTF, no motorbikes" you say. Don't panic, Pete and I will still be shooting some biking events. One will be the first Horizons Unlimited Maritimes Meet in July. We will also be showing a condensed version of Two Wheels Through the Big Land at the meet. It should be an awesome weekend of adventure. Plus we will still be some exploring of our great province on motorbike.

So what the hell is the Deer Lake 67? Well, a little background first. I started running back in 1997, to lose weight and get in shape. As a pilot it was the easiest thing to do while travelling. It turned into myself running various 10k, 1/2 marathons (21.1k) an Ironman triathlon (4.6k swim, 180k bike, 42.2k run) and two marathons (42.2k). That was thirteen years ago. Two kids, various moves around the country, and other interests put my drive to compete in big events on the back burner. I've kept my running up, but just shorter distances, 10k and under.

For the last few years I have been interested in running an ultra marathon. That is any distance over 42.2k, typically they start at 50k, and go to 50 mile, and 100 miles. Most are off road trail runs.

I'm sure some of you whose only exercise is twisting their right hand as 1200cc moves them down the road are thinking " what person in their right mind runs 100 miles, I didn't know people did that". Well in the last few years it has become quite popular. As I saw quoted in a runner magazine, "any idiot can run a marathon...it takes a special idiot to run an ultra marathon" So off to work on the short bus I go.

The Deer Lake 67 takes place in............tada, Deer Lake, on the west coast of Newfoundland. This year will be the second time for the event and it is capped at 50 runners, and sold out already. Pete and I are registered, and committed (my wife thinks we should be committed, as in padded cell committed). The course starts at the Holiday Inn, and follows logging roads, ATV trails and part of the T'Railway Trail all the way around the lake. It's a friggin big lake.

So the plan is for Pete and I to film parts of our training, the race itself, and interviews with the race director, runners, volunteers, etc. There are not many ultra running films out there, so it is a chance to highlight my home province again, and the people that love this crazy sport.

Since January Pete and I have been training, running 4-5 times a week, and slowly building up our mileage. I had a minor set back in February, I came down with a bout of shingles, yes folks shingles. 44 years old and I got shingles, WTF. So it was a pleasant couple of weeks, that was painful and knocked me on my ass, which meant I spent most of my time on the couch. I more or less lost 3 weeks of running.

So my long runs should be up to 25k, but with the set back I'm at 15k. Which is OK, the race is not until August 31.

The winter we have had, which will not go away, means trail running has been tough, and with the huge amount of snow in the woods means there won't be any for awhile. So we have to beat the pavement, which sucks.

So the blog will now consist of a lot of running, with the usual motorbike stuff. It is Bigland Adventure Films, which could more or less comprise any adventure. We didn't want to tie ourselves down to just bikes.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

We are vastly approaching the middle of March and warmer temps and the arrival of spring seems to still far far away. It's -2C and snowing, the forecasted 2cm is already more than double that, and the plow has gone by the house twice now. The ol' Vstrom is sitting in the garage feeling very neglected. So I decided to get a present for the bike to celebrate the so called "coming of spring", wherever the hell it may be.

I ordered some Oxford heated grips today. I had a pair on my BMW G650, and loved them, they kept my hands nice and toasty. I even used them in the summer, as it kept my poor arthritic hands feeling nice.

The Strom is going to need some tender loving care this spring, my leaking clutch is still an issue, I think the seal on master slave cylinder is shot, and with over 20K miles on the girl, the valves need to be checked and throttle body sync needs to be done. So off to the stealership it goes.......as soon as the salt and snow is off the road. I am planning a road trip to Kentucky for this spring so I want the bike in tip top shape.

So what else have been up to besides not finishing up Episode 5. I had a really good start on the last episode, and then somehow I lost it. Seriously, for the life of me I cannot find the project anywhere on either of my two external drives, or the computers hard drive. WTF. Pissed me off to say the least, because I had put in about 12hrs of editing on it. That combined with being sick with shingles no less for two weeks (ya shingles, and I'm only 44, what's up with the old man sickness)

Of course then there is work, hard to edit when you are not home, and now the missus has me working on bathroom renos.............again. Goodie.

What's up with the Ducati you may ask? Well it's my current "I really, really, want one of those bikes" Unfortunately I am lacking in the in the funds department, approximately $13,995 plus tax lacking. I have always loved Duc's, the Multistrada is an awesome bike, but the $20K plus price tag is really too rich for me, however the new Hyperstrada, based on the Hypermotard definitely fits the bill. Upright, comfortable seating with the performance of a sport bike and that sweet, sweet, Ducati sound. It's intoxicating.

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About Me

44 years old, married to a wonderful woman with two awesome daughters, a crazy Chocolate Lab named Molly, and a Yellow Lab named Abbie.

I am also a very amateur film maker and editor, prefer editing to filming, and my big love is writing. I currently have one blog about my love of motorcycles, specifically Adventure and off road riding, and a new blog on my latest passion ultra running.

I am also working with the online magazine CMG (Canada Moto Guide) on a video for the Fundy Adventure Rally, and hopefully some more exciting projects in the future.

Be sure to checkout my 5 part video series Two Wheels Through the Big Land" with my pal Peter Oxley.